Curse of the Wolf
by Who-I-am-x
Summary: Sakura and Li are married have kids...but someone's out to get Li...can he survive? What happens when the attackers kidnap their kids and Madison goes missing? And Meilin's got a daughter...but who's the father? And more importantly, does he KNOW it?
1. Wedding Bells

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" __Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, HeYan won one of the places in my competition, which I am _very _pleased about…so here's our story!

R+R if you like!

**Chapter 1:**

**Wedding Bells**

Sakura and Madison walked down the isle together, and everyone turned around in their seats to watch the 'blushing brides' walking together, more beautiful than anyone had ever seen them.

Sakura wore a beautiful white gown sprinkled with beaded cherry blossoms, and Madison wore an almost identical gown, but strewn with deep blue violets.

They looked at each other nervously, knowing there was no going back now. Knowing they wouldn't want to go back, even if they could.

But that didn't stop last minute nerves.

Waiting for them, with bated breath and nerves to match were Eli, for Madison, and Li, for Sakura.

Li was wearing a deep black tuxedo, with a cherry blossom corsage on the pocket, and Eli an identical suit, with a violet on the pocket.

That had caused a lot of tension, mainly from Li, as he loathed the idea of being in anything even _similar _to Eli's clothing.

Madison turned to face Eli, and Sakura to Li.

A joint wedding.

The priest at the front of the church began to speak, and an awed silence fell around the room.

Sakura caught Li's eye, and all of the sudden, her nerves were gone. She wanted to marry this man, and she would. No matter what happened, she'd always love him.

Eli looked at Madison, much in the same way, but instead, she had the obvious urge to laugh.

"Madison, can we have your vows please?"

Madison was caught slightly off guard, and stuttered a little before actually speaking, causing Eli's nerves to sizzle.

But eventually, she did.

"I spent a long time looking for my prince charming, the one who'd make my fairytales a reality. But I guess I tried to hard, and on the day I finally stopped looking, I found you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and that means I'll do anything to keep my fairytales existent, and I don't want to ever let you go. I want to marry you."

"Now, if anyone knows of any reason why these two may not be wed, speak now or forever hold their peace." Li and Sakura's turn.

Tori, who was sitting in the second row, where Madison and Li had decided he could do less damage, was about to stand up, object, stop the charade, when Ruby kicked him.

But before he had the chance to scream out in pain, she kissed him until the opportunity for sabotage had passed.

"I now declare you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Eli did. Li did.

And that was that. They were married.

Sakura and Li walked back down the isle first, followed by Madison and Eli, and, back out in the main hall of the church, relief spread over the two happy couples.

Madison hugged her best friend, and whispered in her ear;

"_We did it…told you we'd be ok!" _

Sakura merely smiled, letting the surrealism of the day, her _big _day, wash over her. She was married. She was married to Li…

Wow.

She looked at him, talking quietly to Eli, and almost gasped. It hit her. She was going to be with him _every _day, and nothing would ever change that. Her and Li, against the world. And now it was official. She'd change her name…people would call her Mrs. Showron.

Her and Li were inseparable now, and she'd known near the end that this was coming. There was no way to go but to the next level…and the only way for her and Li was up.

This was it.

Madison came running into the chapel, bearing a plastic bag with a wash of pink material inside, and Sakura had to admit, she'd never even noticed her leave.

"Guys, the cars are here! Sakura, here's your change of outfit! See you there!" And Madison and Eli were out the large oak doors, and off into their limo, awaiting arrival to the reception.

That left Sakura and Li, who met eyes and smiled from either ends of the chapel.

"Ready?" Li stood by the entrance, waiting patiently for Sakura to appear at his side, and accompany him to the limo.

"Ready." And they were off.

**IN THE LIMO – MADISON AND ELI'S **

"So, this is it!" Madison smiled at her _husband_…that still seemed strange to her.

"Any regrets?" Eli seemed somewhat scared by this prospect, and once again, Madison had the urge to laugh.

"Well, now that you _mention _it…" Madison decided to get her revenge for the stuttering incident back in the church.

"_What_?" Eli's eyes widened, but he soon caught onto Madison's little trick and looked at her with faux shock.

"Madison Taylor, you have a _very _evil streak, do you know that?" Eli muttered.

"Hey! It's Madison _Moon _now! Wait…and Sakura's Sakura Showron…MM and SS…that's _so _kawaii!"

All Eli could do was laugh, and seeing this, Madison felt butterflies in her stomach. No. No second thoughts here.

**IN THE OTHER LIMO – SAKURA AND LI'S **

"I can't _believe _we did it! We're _married_!" Sakura cried, hugging her _husband_ happily.

Li was almost as ecstatic as she was, but for a slightly different reason…

"I can't believe Tori _didn't _interfere…at _all_!" Li did, genuinely look surprised, and Sakura smiled.

"Ruby and I had a _little _plan, just in case…"

And the pairs rode off, and would soon be arriving at their wedding reception, where all their friends and family would be waiting.

And further along, a new life for the four would be waiting, too.


	2. Lone Wolf

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" __Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 2:**

**Lone Wolf**

Sakura lay on her sun bed, watching the children run along the shore-line, trying to escape the oncoming waves.

The playful screeches proved that it wasn't as easy as it looked.

"Mother! Gen threw salt water at my face!" Sakura sighed. So much for relaxing under the warm sun on her terrace over looking the beach.

"Genrou, did you throw water at your sister, _again_?" Sakura looked accusingly at her son.

"No! I didn't _throw _it…"

Hotaru opened her mouth to protest, but Sakura go there first.

"Did you use your _magic_? Gen, what do I have to do to get you to realise that magic is _not _a toy?" Sakura sighed yet again. It had become a bit of a habit since she'd become a mother.

"Li! Come out here and deal with your son!" Sakura called her husband out of their villa.

Li came out, looking slightly harassed.

"What's up?" He looked at his soaking wet daughter, back to Genrou, and put two and two together.

"_Again_, Gen?" Li handed the sopping Hotaru a towel, and Sakura looked at her, concern in her eyes.

"Aru, honey, you're gonna get dry skin if you don't wash that off!" Sakura warned, noticing the salt beginning to show on her daughter's skin.

"But…" Genrou tried to defend his actions, but Sakura had become immune to it.

"Mum! Dad's cheating at cards _again_!" Sakura smiled as she heard Hiroshi talking to his mother on the other side of their divided terrace.

"Eli, will you just play a proper game for _once_?" Madison's mock stern voice drifted over the partition.

"Mother! I'm all wet! And look at my _hair_!" Hotaru screamed from the mirror just inside the door of the villa, causing Madison to poke her head over the fence, and concerned look on her face.

"You ok?"

"Auntie Madison! Gen made me wet! And now my hair's a mess! Gaki!"

"Aru! What have I told you about saying stuff like that! It's a rude word, and you should _not _use it, because it's horrible and demeaning!" Sakura glared at her daughter, who turned away.

"And only _idiots _use words like that, and you're not." Li caught Sakura's eye, then Madison's, and the three began to laugh uncontrollably.

"But Uncle Tori calls dad that all the time!" Genrou slapped his hand over his mouth, until he noticed the throbbing vain in his father's head.

Madison and Sakura merely giggled more.

"He did _what_?" Li was really not going to let this go.

"He told us you've always been a stupid…" Hotaru's hand over his mouth soon stopped him aggravating their father anymore.

Li just looked at Sakura, as if to say 'I told you so!' and Genrou started to walk back over to the swimming pool.

"You know that by saying that, you've now magically stopped your father from punishing you?" Sakura's hand on his shoulder soon dashed any chance of escape.

"But…she…" Sakura hushed her mischievous child and waved her hand in front of her consumed husband's face.

"Earth to Li? For God's sake, Li, stop planning ways to get revenge on Tori and take care of your son!"

That snapped him out of it pretty soon, and Li took a sulking Genrou back inside, where several loud words were to be heard, and two doors were soon slamming.

Sakura and Hotaru sighed simultaneously.

"I swear, sometimes, he's a bigger kid than Gen…"

Madison laughed at this. Li would _always _be like this, and Sakura should've realised _that _by now. Ever since they'd met him, she'd known that Sakura and Li were destined for each other…

They were _both _less mature than they liked to make out, and it was this very thing that Sakura reprimanded him for that made them such a _perfect _couple.

"So, how did Yelan feel about you rejecting her offer to go to Hong Kong?" Madison asked after Hotaru, Eli and Hiroshi had all gone to the joint pool, Eli promising to teach them both how to swim like a professional…probably just to wind Li up, as he'd still _never _beaten him in a race…

"She was fine with it, she understood that I couldn't just drag Gen out of school, he's got his SATS this year, and Aru has so much to do anyway, I just don't wanna put all that on her shoulders…she's carrying so much already, and, I don't think I could survive without you, Madison…" Sakura sighed.

"Aww, Sakura, you know I'll be your best friend, no matter _where _you are!" Madison hugged her best friend.

"Yeah, but I couldn't not _see _you for _months _at a time!"

Inside the house, the phone began to ring. Sakura rolled her eyes, and Madison giggled.

"So much for peace and _quiet_! We go back tomorrow!" Madison stretched her now tanned arms out in front of her.

"That'll wear off by the time the kids go back to school…" Sakura seemed slightly depressed about the fact that their holiday was over, and they only had a month left of summer break.

"Sakura, are you gonna get that?" Madison distracted her best friend from her now depressing thoughts, and Sakura grabbed the phone.

"Sakura? Sounds like you're gonna have to cut your vacation short…it's an emergency, and I have some _very _bad news…"


	3. Wolf Down

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" __Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 3:**

**Wolf down**

Sakura grabbed all her and Li's clothes out of the wardrobe, and folded them as quickly as possible.

They had to check in for their flight in one hour, and the airport was about twenty minutes away.

"Mum, why are we rushing? We're not supposed to be leaving until tomorrow!" Hotaru and Genrou were complaining _loudly _and she had just about had enough.

"Because one of your father's relatives is a little unwell, and we have to go and see him, it looks like he may be on his death bed, so please hurry guys; we don't have very long. Aru, honey, could you please go and explain to Auntie Madison?" Hotaru left her room and headed next door.

"Thank you, honey." Sakura looked around the villa, trying to remember where Li had said he was going, but she was barely listening in the rush.

She soon found him, however, in the bathroom, packing up their toiletries.

"You ok, sweetheart?" She asked, putting an arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks." Sakura frowned, realising he was actually being genuine.

"Aren't you _upset_? He's on his death bed!" Sakura wasn't exactly as tactful as her best friend.

"It's no secret that Wolf and I have never really got on. We're only going out of respect, then I'm gonna make our excuses and leave." Sakura stood there, gob smacked.

"Didn't he _train _you when you were younger?"

"Yeah, but only for a couple of years, like when I was six. _Suddenly _he was too _old _to train me and Meilin. Had nothing to do with the fact that he hated me, and Meilin didn't have any magic." Li smirked.

"So, why didn't he like you?" Sakura was completely engrossed by this story now, and had completely forgotten about the packing.

"Well, I think it had something to do with the fact that I was gonna be the new leader of the clan after him, so I think he felt threatened by me. My mother said he didn't like my father, either."

"Mum?" Hotaru knocked on the bathroom door, scared to upset her father anymore than he was already, apparently, upset. But as she entered the bathroom, they both seemed to be acting quite normally.

"Yeah?" Sakura looked questioningly at her youngest child.

"Auntie Madison said her and Hiroshi are coming, too, cause Uncle Eli has some business back home, and they want a _proper _holiday." Sakura and Li exchanged looks. They'd been pretending _not _to hear the late night rows between Madison and Eli for a while now, and Sakura was becoming increasingly more worried about her best friend's marriage.

"If we're done packing here, I'm just gonna go check on Madison…" Sakura smiled at her daughter.

"Aru, darling, go check if Gen's finished, please. Thank you honey!"

As Hotaru left the room, Sakura sighed. Li wrapped an arm around his wife. He felt her stress.

Seeing someone else's marriage fall apart was never good, and seeing your wife go through all the pain of seeing her best friend suffer was never good. But there was nothing he could do.

Was there?


	4. Dreaming

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 4: **

**Dreaming**

Sakura lay down on her bed and sighed. She'd tried to talk to Madison, but she'd pretended she was busy packing as soon as Sakura had mentioned Eli.

This was gonna be tough.

She really _hadn't _seen this coming. She remembered the night, eleven years ago…

_----Flashback…----_

_Sakura looked up from her book, entitled 'what to expect when you're expecting.' and saw a slightly shaken Madison walking towards her. Her eyes were red and blotchy, and her normally immaculate mascara had run down the side of her face._

_Their husbands were off in Tokyo, arranging some business deal with a new investor. Li hadn't wanted to go, not with Sakura being 6 months pregnant, but she had insisted._

"_Madison! What's happened?" Sakura feared the worst, and her unborn baby kicked at her anxiety._

_Madison noticed the shock on her friend's face, and smiled ever so slightly. A reassuring smile that Sakura wasn't buying._

"_I…I…I'm…p…" Madison gave up on trying to tell her best friend, and instead handed her the contents of her shaking hand._

_Sakura's turn to be shocked._

"_You're pregnant?" Sakura looked up at her wide-eyed friend, who merely nodded._

"_Oh my God! This is so great! I didn't realise! To be honest, I thought you were just putting on weight! Thought it was weird, since you've been on that diet for like, EVER! But this is so great! Eli's gonna be so happy! Madison?" Sakura noticed her friend didn't share her enthusiasm._

"_Madison? You must be so happy, right?" Sakura looked doubtfully at her tearful friend, frowning slightly._

"_You'd think so, wouldn't you?" But at that moment, a knock came at the door. Madison rushed upstairs, obviously not wanting to be seen by any visitors in this state._

_Sakura went to the door, Madison's behaviour confusing her even more than usual._

_The doorbell rang again, and Sakura rolled her eyes. It wasn't so easy for someone in her condition to answer the door, especially since she'd never done it before, and she really wasn't used to carrying this extra weight around. The doorbell rang again, which made Sakura's already messed up hormones growl. And who'd be at the door at this time of night, anyway?_

_She finally managed to reach the door, and opened it up angrily, ready for a yelling match with whoever was on the other side._

_She did yell, however, but for another reason._

"_Li! Eli! You're back!" She screamed, hugging her husband excitedly. Madison ran down the stairs, looking for the source of all the noise, her make-up once again in tact. _

"_Eli! Li!" Madison walked down the stairs carefully, earning strange looks from Li and Eli, but a small smile from Sakura. She'd been doing that lately, too._

"_Madison? What's wrong? Why are you walking like that?" Eli frowned, and Sakura wondered if she and Li should give them some space…but, before she could make their excuses, Madison blurted it out, as if the shock was too much all of the sudden._

"_I'm pregnant." Was all she said, in a matter-of-fact sort of way, and Li and Eli looked at each other, with matching wide eyed looks, as Sakura walked over to where Madison was sitting on the steps, hoping to catch a little chat with her before things got too happy, and Eli and Li snapped out of their shock. _

_Hoping to ask her what she meant by 'you'd think so, wouldn't you?' But the chance never came._

_First there were the celebrations, about three minutes after Madison spilled her news, then Eli made her spend most of her time 'resting' and shopping for baby clothes._

_Then, three months later, Li and Sakura's first child, was born, who they named Genrou, meaning 'phantom wolf'. He was soon dubbed 'Gen', and the name had stuck. _

_Another three months after that, Hiroshi, or 'Hiro' for short, Eli and Madison's first and only chid was born. There were now to baby boys to look after, and Sakura never found time to ask._

_And, finally, another year after that, Hotaru, who Sakura named after the firefly, was born. She soon began known as 'Aru'. The only girl. And the only one of their children with no magical capabilities. _

_And Madison seemed completely back to normal after that, so Sakura put it down to being scared, and left it at that._

**----By The Pool, Present Day ----**

Eli was sitting on one of the sun beds, folding up what appeared to be a page from the brochure of the villas.

Li plonked himself down on the neighbouring sun bed, and sighed. Eli didn't even bother to look up.

He knew this day would have to come, eventually, ever since their double wedding. The day he'd have to talk to Eli.

"What's going on?" But Eli still didn't look up.

"I have business back home. Didn't wanna ruin their holiday."

"Eli, you and I both know that's a load of crap." Eli paused for a moment, and then continued folding the page.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Eli, I work with you, remember? I'd know if we had business to do in Japan, and I'd know if you had to stay there. So tell me what the _hell _is going on." Li was getting angry now, and it was beginning to show.

"That's none of your business, Li." Eli's gaze didn't move from the page.

"_ANYTHING _THAT UPSETS SAKURA _IS _MY BUSINESS, AND DON'T YOU _DARE _SAY IT'S NOT! SHE'S MY WIFE, AND MADISON IS HER BEST FRIEND! "

Eli actually looked up, obviously quite shocked by Li's little outburst.

From the front of the villas, a car horn went off.

"I think they're waiting for you." And Eli went back to folding his paper.

"Yeah, my _wife _and I still travel together!" Li smiled at Eli, almost daring him to say something.

But he didn't rise to the bait. God knows he wanted to, but for some reason, he couldn't. It was almost as if he knew Li was right.

Eli sat there for quite a while after they'd left, wondering what was _wrong _with him.

_What went wrong? I thought Madison was acting a bit weird after the honeymoon, but I didn't think much of it…why won't she talk to me? Why doesn't she just tell me what's wrong?_

_Why doesn't she love me anymore?_

This thought scared the hell out of Eli, and he shook his head, trying to get it out. Trying to make it go away.

But it wouldn't leave.

And then he remembered something. Something from a long time ago. Not from his life, but from another.

_Su-Yung. She did this too. Before she betrayed me. And while I was worried about her strange behaviour, she was planning the worst._

"NO! SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT!" He screamed, throwing the page of the brochure into the pool.

"She…she…wouldn't _do _that…"

_**Mackerell villas, we set the scene for the perfect family holiday.**_


	5. How Can You Be Sure?

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 5:**

**How can you be sure?**

Sakura looked across at her sleeping best friend, longing to wake her up, to beg her to tell what she was doing, what was going on…

She knew, deep down, that it was too late. It was like they all knew, no matter how long it took, it would be over. It was like the rot had set in, and now it would be too late…

And Sakura couldn't help but feel as if it was her fault. If only she'd _asked _Madison what she'd meant that day, or seen the signs beforehand…but she'd seemed so _happy_…what had gone wrong?

As if in answer to her question, Madison sat up, looking around her, and smiling in the fake way she had adopted since the late night arguments with Eli had begun, and Sakura was sick of pretending to buy them.

"Hey, Saku…" Sakura didn't wait for the fake chatter. She couldn't put up with any more of this. It was getting stupid now, to the degree that if she didn't say something soon, she never would, and all would be lost.

"Madison, what's _really _going on?" Sakura blurted, unable to stop herself.

"W...what?" Madison seemed quite shocked at the bluntness of her best friend, and was visibly shaken for a moment.

After somewhat regaining her poise, however, she turned away, looking out the window.

"Nothing's going on, Sakura…I just felt like coming to Hong-Kong, with you, and I didn't want Hiro to have to sit at home with Eli…ok?"

"Madison, you're my best friend, and I love you like a sister, but that's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my life."

Madison turned around to face her friend, and Sakura was shocked to see a tear in her eye.

"Madison, I'm sorry, I didn't…I mean…" Sakura was very rudely cut off.

"I don't _care _what you _meant_! It's got _nothing _to do with _you_, Sakura! Since when did you become a relationship counsellor _anyway_? No one asked you, and you should learn to keep your nose _out _of _my _business!" Madison was raising her voice by the end, and Hotaru, who was in the sleeper pod next to them, began to stir.

Sakura was just thankful Li had his own jet; otherwise she was sure that people would be yelling at them to shut up by now.

"Madison, what is _wrong _with you? I can't help but get the feeling you're _angry_…" Sakura was once again cut off by her best friend.

"_Really_? Oh, Sakura, you're _so _intuitive! I don't know _how _you guessed I was upset! I barely noticed it _myself_!" Madison's voice dripped with sarcasm, and Sakura flinched slightly.

"There's no need to be _rude _about it! I was only worried about you! This is ridiculous! People try to _help _you and all you can do is snap at them! I don't know _what's _happening to you, Madison, but I don't like it, and right now, I can _see _why Eli doesn't even wanna be in the same _country _as you!" Sakura stopped herself, instantly wishing she could take her words back.

Madison looked as if she'd been slapped across the face, and she was frozen in shock.

"Thanks." She muttered, before walking off in the direction of the other compartment, where Li, Hiroshi and Genrou were playing cards, and Sakura placed her head on the table and let out her frustration.

"Aaaargggghhh!" She cried, just wanting to get it all out, forgetting for a moment that her sleeping daughter was just behind her.

"Mum?" The sleepy girl looked up from her pod, and stood next to her still frustrated mother.

Sakura looked up from where she was on the table, shocked to see her daughter standing beside her.

"Aru, honey, sorry, I didn't mean to be so loud…" Sakura gave her daughter a small half-smile, and Hotaru frowned slightly. She wouldn't make too big a deal of it.

"Mum, things like this have a knack for working out for the better, and I'm sure Aunty Madison has her reasons. If you trust her, you'd know that."

And she was gone, leaving a swash of fabric swinging in between the two compartments of the plane.

Sakura sighed, smiling slightly as a giggle came from the accompanying partition. Kids sometimes said the weirdest things.


	6. What's happening?

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 6:**

**What's happening?**

Madison sat alone in the spare room of Li's mansion. She'd not spoken to Sakura since the flight, and Sakura had made no effort to speak to her.

Now, Li and Sakura were currently speaking to Li's mother and his sisters were fussing over the children.

So Madison was left alone with her thoughts, where she least wanted to be.

_My marriage is falling apart, I've dragged my son away from his father and into the middle of a grieving household and I'm not on speaking terms with my best friend. What the hell went wrong?_

_I don't know what the hell's going on with me anymore…I'm always angry at Eli, and I've started being off with Sakura, and Hiro…in fact, the only one I'm not being horrid to is Hotaru, and it's weird, coz I don't even really get on with her anyway…_

_I can't even throw myself into my dressmaking, coz I'm getting worse and worse at it…_

_Everything's falling down around me, and there's nothing I can do about it…so what's happening to me?_

**-------------------------------THE SITTING ROOM--------------------------------**

Li looked at the clock and then at Sakura, who yawned slightly.

"Where _is _she?" He muttered impatiently, glancing at the clock again.

"She said she'd be here as soon as possible, Li." Yelan sighed at her son's intolerance.

At that precise moment, the doorbell rang, followed by four 'I'll get it's, and then:

"Meilin! How are you?"

"You took your time!"

"We missed you!"

"Where's Ady?"

After a few moments, and a few more gushes from Li's sisters, the sitting room door opened, and Meilin walked in.

"Hey!" Meilin hugged Sakura, nearly knocking her over, and did the same to Li.

"Meilin…a little more respect for the situation, hmm?" Yelan smiled at her over-excited niece.

"Oh, so what? The old git's nearly dead, who cares?" Meilin sat down next to Sakura on the sofa, and both Li and Sakura tried to suppress their laughter.

Slowly, a tall, slender, tanned teenager walked in the room behind her mother.

"Mother, do I _have _to stay?" Meilin smiled at her daughter.

"If I have to, you do too! So stop sulking and sit down. Ok?" Meilin patted the space beside her on the couch, and the girl sighed, conforming to her mother's wishes.

"Adorare, do you want something to drink?" Feimei popped her head around the sitting room door, and the girl shook her head and sighed.

"No thank you…" She muttered quietly, and Feimei smiled. She looked to Meilin.

"No thanks Fei!"

Meilin turned to Li and Sakura, and looked at them expectantly.

"So? News!" Adorare sunk further into her seat on the couch, bracing herself for a long chat about people she didn't know, and probably didn't want to.

"Sakura! Your friend's gone! She left this on her pillow…" Fanren cried as she entered the sitting room.

Sakura got to her feet and took the piece of paper from Li's sister. She began to read, and by the end, she was crying.

She handed the note to Li, silently.

_**Sakura-**_

**_I need to sort my head out for a bit. I don't wanna hold you up, so if I'm not back by the time we're due to leave, go without me, and Hiro can go home. Eli will be there anyway._**

_**Please don't be mad, just think how you'd feel if your marriage was falling apart, and you'll understand why I have to do this.**_

_**I'll be your best friend forever, and I hope you know that. This is just something I need to do. **_

_**I'm sorry, but I guess this is goodbye. For now.**_

_**Love M xx**_

"What's she gonna do?" A tearful Sakura looked at Li, then at Meilin, who had been reading over his shoulder.

But something told them she already knew the answer.


	7. Heirs

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 7:**

**Heirs**

Li, Meilin and Adorare stood outside the hospital room rather hesitantly. Meilin and Li were in a glaring match to decide who was going to have to be the one to open the door, and Adorare was staring in to space, bored.

Adorare rolled her eyes at her mother and uncle and quietly opened the door to the room, and due to their glaring match, neither of the two 'adults' seemed to notice the fact that their young companion had now disappeared.

Adorare closed the door and sank into the nearest possible seat, drawing her cell phone from her purse and looking longingly at the power button.

Surely no one would notice if she just quickly checked her messages?

She looked at the old guy in the hospital bed doubtfully. He wasn't gonna wake up any time soon…

"That's what you think!" The old man opened his eyes and stared at the young teenager, who was now walking up to him with curiosity in her eyes.

"Aren't you supposed to be _dying_?" She raised her eyebrow at the old man, not scared of his reputation. She took after her mother in that respect.

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping that _off_?" He replied, and she approached him a little more.

"I don't know you…but you certainly have a powerful aura…" He stared at her, and for a moment she thought he had the key to her soul.

"I'm Meilin's daughter…" Adorare muttered, wondering how he'd managed to get inside her head.

"Telepathic." He answered her, and she gazed at him in awe.

"So, Adorare, tell me…what can you do?"

"I…I can fight…" The man shook his head, and she realised what he meant.

"I'm telekinetic. I can do nearly anything with my mind…" She noticed she was shaking and stopped herself. She would not show fear.

The old man looked at her no longer shaking hand, and smiled for a moment.

"How would you like to be the heir to the Li clan?" Adorare looked at the old man uncertainly.

"Wolf." He said, and she frowned for a moment.

He looked at her expectantly.

"Adorare." She muttered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------AN HOUR LATER---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The doorknob to the small room began to turn hesitantly, and both Adorare and Wolf looked at it almost accusingly, as if waiting to see if it would actually move any more.

Suddenly, Meilin burst in, and Wolf closed his eyes, clutching the note declaring Adorare the new leader of the Li clan if anything should happen to him, as agreed.

"Adorare? We thought you'd gone back to the mansion!"

"No, I just got sick of waiting out there, so I thought I'd come in here for a bit…" It had also been agreed that Adorare would pretend she had not spoken to Wolf at all, so he would not have to speak with Meilin or Li.

"So, any life?" Li looked towards the sleeping Wolf on his death bed. No movement. Not even a flinch.

Adorare had to admit, he was a rather good actor…

"Nope." Meilin frowned for a moment at her daughter.

"You've just been sitting here, _alone _this whole time?"

"Yeah…I was…gonna try and call someone on the payphone…" She pointed to the rusty phone in the corner.

"Ok…Li, can we _go _now? He's hardly entertaining us…" She pointed to the old man on the hospital bed, bored already by his death-like pose.

"Anyway, why'd _we _have to come? Nobody else has…" Meilin moaned, sitting down heavily on the chair furthest away from the bed, as though she didn't want to contaminate herself.

"Mother wanted me to find out who his next heir is…it's her job to make sure they're notified and prepared to take command if their help is needed." He looked doubtfully at the old man.

"Doesn't look like that's gonna happen any time soon, though…" He slumped down in the only available chair, which happened to be the one nearest to Wolf.

"Who _can _he pick? He won't pick me, coz of the whole no magic thing…he _hates_ you…and, well, your mother won't do it…" Meilin looked doubtfully at Li, frowned, and turned to Adorare.

"He won't pick Adorare." Li muttered, before she had the chance to ask.

"Why not? She has magic…" Adorare pretended to be rifling through her bag for something, not wanting to give anything away.

"She hasn't even passed her initiation…to men like Wolf, that's worse than not having magic in the first place."

Adorare froze. No. Could it be that this would stop her? She looked over at Wolf, still pretending to sleep. Good. He was still going through with the plan. He didn't mind…she'd still get to be leader…

"Hmmm…" Oh no. He was stirring…

He was 'waking up'. And that could only mean one thing.

His eyes began to open, and he scrunched up the piece of paper in his hand.

Adorare's eyes widened and she began to try and get his attention, make him look at her…

Then, suddenly, she felt his thoughts…he was sending her some sort of psychic message…

_It's off…you cannot be the leader of a Clan with no training. You are a disgrace! Get out of my site!_

But she didn't move. She would not be fazed by such a minor set-back. She _would _be leader if it killed her. No matter what it took. She'd show everyone that she wasn't just a stroppy teenager. She had power, and she'd prove herself one way or another.

She'd show everyone she wasn't weak. She'd show everyone she wasn't her father.

"Oh. _You_…" The old man muttered, and both Li and Meilin stared at him, neither wanting to be the one who had to ask him.

He played mind games, and they knew it.

"So, time to pick an heir…" He smiled a hollow, scary smile that seemed to say everything and yet was strangely simple at the same time…which made it scarier.

"Just hurry up." Meilin muttered, earning an evil glare from Wolf and a suppressed laugh from Li.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to pick the lesser of two evils…" Li frowned, as did Meilin. They stared at him expectantly, wondering if they were actually gonna get a name out of him, or if he'd make them guess.

"What have I got to choose from? A weak fool whom couldn't even regain control over the Clow cards, or his even weaker cousin who posses no magic whatsoever? Looks like you win. By default." He looked at Li, who looked as though he was in immense pain.

"I want this no more than you do, but you are the only suitable candidate." With a scornful glance towards Adorare.

"Now leave me in peace."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a/n: Long chappie or what? Let me know what you think! Drama's coming in the next chappie, it should be up soon! If you have any html knowledge, or know anything about creating www. sites, let me know as I'm thinking of making one for my fics, and that means more updating for you, as the reason I don't update as often any more is because doesn't always work…


	8. Destruction

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Ok, NEW SYSTEM ALERT!

FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SUBMIT A REVIEW, MY CO-WRITER AND FRIEND HEYAN WILL BE REPLYING TO YOUR REVIEWS AND ANSWERING QUERIES!

**Chapter 8:**

**Destruction**

Amelia Light sat in the staff room of the hospital, staring at the progress report beneath her.

_**Wolf Showron:**_

**_After several tests, it is decided he has an infected bowl. After careful scrutiny, it is decided he may return home after another two day observation period._**

Unaware was the nurse, a tanned hand was currently making it's way out of the shadows of the otherwise empty staff room, edging itself towards her.

A thin wire led from this hand to another, and slowly, a figure emerged from the shadows in the dark, quiet room.

Amelia Light, the nurse. The woman who was _always _awake on the job. The nurse who could automatically sensed anything wrong with a patient.

Shame she couldn't sense the cheese wire about to entrap her. The young teenage girl standing behind her, ready for revenge. Ready for what she deserved.

The cheese wire did the job perfectly, and the nurse's body was never found.

Adorare exited the staff room and scanned the empty hallways for any signs of life. She would be silent. She would do what she had to do, and she would not allow herself to be implicated in this in any way. No one would even know there _was_ a crime, let alone that _she_ was responsible.

And by the time they _did_ notice, it would be too late, and they'd have no choice but to follow her.

But she knew she must be cautious. She'd over heard her mother and the others back at the mansion talking about how powerful Sakura was, how much magic she possessed.

If she got wind of this, she could put a stop to it before Adorare had even taken over.

And Li would be put in charge.

Adorare crept up to the door and ensured she had her mind blocks. After her father had walked out on them, her mother hadn't wanted her to have _anything _to do with him, which included his magical capabilities.

But she had trained. She had learnt all she could in the privacy of her room, and, when it was needed, she could use them.

And she would.

She opened the door to the room carefully and scanned it, smiling as she saw the old man was confined to his bed, wheezing slightly.

She frowned, opening the medical report at the bottom of his bed.

There, scrawled in urgent writing, as though the doctor was in a rush was:

_**To be observed for any form of irregular breathing or any respiratory abnormalities of any kind, including heightened asthma.**_

Adorare smiled, placing the chart back in its slot at the end of the bed. This was gonna be easier than she thought.

"H-h…help m…me…" Wolf's eyes flew open and for a moment, Adorare was shocked at how bloodshot and red they looked.

Then she remembered what she was here to do.

"Make me the head of the Li clan." She muttered coldly to the old man. She knew it came out sounding weak and something like a child might say, but she didn't care. She needed this more than anyone could ever know.

"What can you do if I don't? You haven't even been trained…you _disgust _me…" He spoke like a man in a much stronger position, and Adorare thought she should _remind _him of his condition.

She put her hand on the machine that she presumed was keeping him alive, although she couldn't be sure.

"What are you gonna do? You won't kill me…not that it matters if you do…the nurse you killed was the one who was doing the rounds, so I'll die tonight anyway." He smiled at the young girl, now trying to formulate a new plan of attack.

His hollow smile was somewhat off-putting, and she had the sudden urge to scream and just keep running.

But she didn't. She desperately searched her brain for something she could turn against him and use for her own prophet.

Nothing came. That's when she noticed the expression on Wolf's face, the way he was staring at her…no, staring _past_ her…

She turned around and looked in the direction of his gaze, only to hear a gasping come from Wolf's bed.

She looked at the smiling old man, frowning slightly, trying to work out what he'd done.

She looked down into the direction he was now smiling and felt a plunging feeling in her chest.

He'd disconnected the life support.

He'd found a way out.

And he was _determined _not to let her win.

"NO! Sign it! Sign the form! Please! Sign it!" She was screaming now, not caring who heard.

"_Pathetic_" He muttered, watching the girl's efforts erupt and scald her. She had no way to get leadership now…

"Yes, I do…" Her turn to smile now.

"I'll kill Li." Was the last thing she said before thumping him in the chest and listening to the silence.

And she would.


	9. A farewell gift

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I didn't get many reviews so I sort of forgot!

Please R+R people, it really brightens up my day!

**Chapter 9:**

**A Farewell gift**

Sakura lay on her bed, thinking through her options. Option one: She could call Eli and tell him what was happening. But what if Madison turned up again?

But how likely was that?

She shuddered at the thought of never seeing Madison again. Of never having her video camera in her face. Of never wearing the clothes she made so lovingly.

Of never hearing her joyful 'Oh ho ho'.

A small sob escaped her as she fought to control her bubbling emotions. How could Madison be gone?

Maybe it all got too much for her.

_Is it my fault? If I'd have talked to her properly, instead of putting it off, maybe she'd just have talked to me and seen sense. But what did that letter mean? Is she gonna…Is she gonna KILL herself? _

_She wouldn't tell me if she was gonna anyways…she wouldn't want to worry me…what do I tell Hiro? He's bound to notice his mother's disappearance…_

She lay back on the bed and sighed. What was she to do? She could hardly just hide in the room all day. Meilin had knocked three times to see if she was feeling ok, and Li had been fretting all morning about her state of mind.

Another knock came at the door, and Sakura sighed.

"_Yes_, Meilin, I'm _fine_!" She stopped when she realised the figure standing in the doorway was not that of the annoying Chinese girl; but that of her daughter.

"Oh, Adorare…Sorry…" Sakura sat up on her bed, smiling at the somewhat nervous teenager.

"Something wrong?" Sakura looked around the room, littered with folded clothes she was planning to unpack days ago.

"Sorry for the mess…" She muttered, frowning at the silent girl.

"Um…I heard about your friend leaving." She said, as though that explained her sudden silence.

"Uh…I'm…I'm sorry…" She looked cautiously around the room, as though searching for something. Sakura shook her head as she thought of this. This was Meilin's daughter. She'd hardly be up to anything sinister.

"That's ok…and thanks for the…support…" Sakura's turn to feel awkward. Adorare, for some reason, though, seemed adamant to leave, as though there was something else she wanted.

"I…Um…I never got to see her! Your friend…I mean…how would I know if I saw her nearby? I've never seen her…" Adorare groaned inwardly. That was such a lame excuse. And she had to be careful around the Card-mistress.

But she couldn't help it. She needed a photo of this Madison, she needed something to hold against her should the need arise.

Should she work this out.

She suddenly became aware of Sakura's gaze on her now, as though trying to sum her up.

As though working out what she was up to. And whether to trust her.

"Ok…well, I've got a picture here…" Sakura handed her a picture of what she assumed was Madison.

"Oh…she's, uh…" Adorare needed more time. She _had _to read this picture right…she had to sense this girl's aura. She knew she could use her against Sakura. It was only a question of finding her.

"Sakura? How are you? You need to come downstairs. You'll make yourself ill if you stay here any longer…" I poked an anxious face round the door, and seemed surprised by Adorare's presence.

"I'm fine…" Sakura muttered rather unconvincingly.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" He gave Adorare a sideways glance and she greeted the escape with open arms.

"Yeah…Ok…" Adorare walked out the room, praying that no one would notice her carrying the picture in her hands as she made a hasty exit.

She managed, however, to escape unquestioned, and leant her head on the door, sighing with relief. As she prepared to make her final leap into freedom, however, her curiosity got the better of her and she pressed her ear to the door.

"Li…you're so caring…you're so kind…"

"You too, Sakura."

Adorare smiled. Little did they both know that very trait would be their downfalls.


	10. Kidnap?

****

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

**_Writing-notes, emails etc._**

A/n: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I didn't get many reviews so I sort of forgot!

Please R+R people, it really brightens up my day!

**Chapter 10:**

**Kidnap?**

Madison stared at the gate to the Li family mansion and sighed. Today was the day they left for Japan.

And she was standing outside. Her thoughts had been so _clear_ when she left a few days ago.

She couldn't even be civil to the man she loved. There was no point to her life anymore.

So she left the mansion, knowing full well what she was planning to do.

But as she stood by that railway line, waiting in the rain, something was wrong. Someone was stopping her.

Some_thing_ was holding her back.

So she didn't do it.

And here she was, preparing to go back to them. Her family, her friends. Preparing to give her marriage another try.

Because she needed to. And she needed them. She needed love, and she wouldn't die in such a demeaning way.

She'd be brave, and she'd live to fight another day.

That was when the loud cracking sound came from behind her.

It was a while before it actually registered to her that it actually came from her. From her head.

She put her hand up to her head and felt a warm, thick liquid. She bought it back down and stared at the crimson blood on her hand, sighing.

"Oh. Look at that." Was all she managed as she hit the cold stone floor.

-----------------------------------------Li mansion--------------------------------------

Sakura had just managed to drag herself out of bed that morning, and as she thumped down the stairs, she barely remembered why.

Today was the day she'd be forced to abandon the idea of Madison ever returning unharmed to fix her marriage.

And she'd thought she'd known her friend so well.

She thought she'd be more rational, realise she'd been considering such a terrible thing as _suicide_ and return.

Because today was the day they'd been due to leave Hong Kong and return home, to Japan. And whilst recent events had disrupted those plans, Madison had no way of knowing that.

Which meant she had…?

Sakura couldn't even bear to think about it. The thought of no more Madison was too terrible to bear.

Little did she know that the worst was still to come.

She braced herself before entering the dining room. Everyone knew what today was, and everyone knew how Sakura had been dreading today.

Which was why, as she entered the room, everyone became silent. And, as she sat down, no one made any attempt to curb their staring.

It was eventually Sakura's cell phone that broke the silence.

She glanced at the screen and frowned. Voicemail? That was odd. The only person that ever left her a voicemail was…

Madison!

She answered and listened intently, praying it wasn't just some message she'd forgotten to delete. The room had returned to its previous state, so no one was really paying much attention to her.

"Hey…Sakura…it's me…I know I…I made a mistake, and…if you still want me back…I'm outside…I mean…I just have to…I'm coming in."

_**Message left at 9:22 am.**_

Sakura glanced up at the clock on the opposite wall. It was 10am. She frowned.

"What's wrong?" Meilin was the first to notice Sakura's expression.

"Madison left a message on my phone saying she was outside and coming back in…half an hour ago."

No one seemed to notice Adorare's expression at that _exact _moment. The shock. The fear.

This wasn't gonna work on it's own.

She needed someone else.

But who?


	11. Now It's Personal!

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

A/n: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I didn't get many reviews so I sort of forgot!

Please R+R people, it really brightens up my day!

**Chapter 11:**

**Now it's personal**

Adorare crept downstairs, praying the adults in the sitting room wouldn't notice her creeping around so long after she'd claimed she was sleepy and retired. She jumped at the sound of their laughter, anxious as to whether they were all in the room or not.

_Would they be laughing if Sakura was in there? Surely she wouldn't want to hang around and chat while they were all laughing and joking? But if she's not in there, where would she be?_

Suddenly, Adorare became aware of footsteps coming down the hall, towards where she was perched on the end of the stairs. She looked around, desperate for somewhere to hide, and desperatley looking for the nearest room to throw herself in.

She looked towards the upstairs hallway, and saw legs moving past the rails. No chance of escape that way. If she was caught, she'd be made to go back to bed, and she'd never get the oppurtunity to go back, and when she eventually continued her plan, someone would suspect her and she'd be thwarted before she'd even begun.

She looked at the front door. It was her only chance, but it meant she'd have to run past the open sitting room door, and just pray no one would see her. And she'd have to do it fast, as whoever was above her was now creaking on the landing just next to the stairs.

Before she even had the chance to reconsider, she dashed down the hall, being careful to tread as lightly as her mother had taught her when doing jujitsu. She barely even noticed she'd been running at all until she got to the door, and looked back to see legs plodding down the stairs.

She quickly escaped, however, and stood for a moment, waiting in case someone had called after her, or followed her outside. Not that she knew what she'd say if someone _did_ follow her. So it was rather fortunate for her that she was left in peace.

* * *

SAKURA'S POV 

As I descended the stairs, I could have sworn I heard someone walking around in the downstairs hallway, and as I walked into the front room, I was sure it was just Meilin, who'd been holding a fresh pot of tea.

The atmosphere as I walked in was deathly quiet. It wasas if they were scared that just laughing would bring me down.

"You don't have to stop having _fun_ whenever I come in the room!" I muttered, immediatly regretting it as I looked t the hurt expression on their faces. I was tempted to just walk straight back out the room.All eyes were on me, and I knew no one would have any fun unless I _allowed_ them to. I yawned to bide my time. I was desperatly thinking of something to talk about that would let them know I was fine.

Li seemed to know what I was thinking, though, because soon enough he was talking about Adorare, who had retired early because she felt unwell.

"She's probably in a mood coz she's not the center of attention..." Meilin smiled at her own joke, and everyone seemed to laugh a little. It was no secret that Meilin and Adorare didn't get on, and I couldn't help wondering if maybe it had something to do with Adorare's father, who Meilin refused to talk about. It was as if she was regretting ever having a child. Or maybe she was regretting ever having slept with the father.

* * *

MADISON'S POV 

I heard stamping down the the stairs over my head, and I scuttled into a corner, wondering what was to become of me. I didn't even know who'd brought me here. All I remembered was waking up that morning in a cold, dark little room, which I remembered as the old wine cellar of the Li mansion. But it was seperate from the house and had been abandoned for years, so I knew I had no chance of a friendly face coming to my rescue. I had no chance of escape, either, as this place was like a mini maze, and Sakura and I had gotten lost in here too many times. I didn't have a clue how to get out, and usually, Li had to come and find us.

I looked desperatly around for something to guard myself with. I had no _idea_ who my kidnapper was, and no idea what they wanted with me. So I was desperate for _something _to protect myself, should things turn nasty.

Not that I thought for a moment that if they wanted me dead, I could stop them. Not that I saw any point of them kidnapping me, knocking me out, waiting for me to wake up and _then_ killing me, mind you...but, then again, I didn't see why anyone would want to kidnap me anyways, coz even if they wanted to take me for ransom, they were wasting their time, because they could've just as easily taken Sakura, or Li, or even Hotaru and Genrou...they had more money...

The thuds came to a stop outside the door that led to my room, and there was silence for a moment. I shuddered at the thought of what may lie beyond that door, awaiting me. I pushed myself further into the corner, praying that something would save me.

But deep down, I knew there was no chance, as Sakura, Li and the others would be back in Japan by now, thinking I was already dead. Little did they know that I was alive, at least for a little while longer.

Then the door swung open, and there stood Adorare.

* * *

NORMAL POV 

Madison sighed with relief and ran up to the teenager, both shocked and relieved at the same time. She hugged her young rescuer, not noticing the fact that she was being looked at with pure hatred.

"Get off!" Adorare pushed her captive to the floor, leaving her shocked and bleeding on the cold, hard stone surface.

* * *

MADISON'S POV 

I stared up at Meilin's daughter in confusion, wondering what the hell was going on. I hoped I was just confused, or we'd gotten our wires crossed. Maybe she didn't recognize me? Maybe she thought I was up to something dodgy?

"Adorare? It's me, Madison...your mother's friend! You have to help me, someone dragged me here and I don't know what they're gonna do to me, we have to get out of here before they come back! Who knows how many of them there are?" I grabbed desperatly onto her now, trying to move her out of the way of the door, but she wouldn't budge. I was vaguely aware of something warm trickling down the side of my face, and tried to wipe it away, scarring myself as I saw the blood on my hands.

"There's just one...and she's standing in front of you." Adorare smiled at me, and it took me a moment to realise what she was getting at.

_She's the one that brought me here? Why...why...why is the room spinning? I'm tired..._

As the room went black, Madison was almost certain she heard someone speaking to her, but she vaguely heard Adorare when she muttered:

"Time to bring you some company." And closed the door to the room.

* * *

NORMAL POV 

It was three in the morning, and Sakura was still unable to sleep.

If she had been paying more attention, she probably would have noticed the noise of footsteps creeking down the hall. And if she hadn't been so _preoccupied_, she probably would've been aware of the 'coughing' noises right outside her bedroom door. But she didn't.

She was too busy thinking of her best friend, and how she'd even _begin _to tell Eli that his wife was...  
Or, for that matter, what she'd say when Hiroshi started asking her where his mother was, and why she wasn't around. Luckily enough, he hadn't asked her yet, and she was sure someone else had spun him a story.

She turned over in bed to make an _attempt_ at being comfortable, but instead came face to face with a _very_ awake Li.

" Sakura, if you don't get some sleep soon, you're gonna make yourself ill." She sat up in bed.

"You're awake _too, _ya know!" She poked him mockingly.

"That's because _someone _is fidgiting!" He grabbed her poking hand and pulled her down toward him, causing her to giggle and squirm.

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream errupted from the hall, and the pair had little time to exchange glances before they dashed towards the sound, Sakura more and more horrified as she saw the crowd outside her children's room.

"What's going on?" She slowed her pace, scared to see the scene that awaited her.

For, there, covered in blood and unconcious, was Genrou.


	12. Security

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

A/n: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I didn't get many reviews so I sort of forgot!

Please R+R people, it really brightens up my day!

**Chapter 12:  
Security**

Sakura sped to her son's aid, not knowing if he was even alive, while Li searched the room for any signs of the attacker. It was only as she was crouching by his unmoving body, that she noticed Adorare, who was also kneeling down, by his side, and covered in her son's blood.

She was sobbing hysterically and staring down at her lifeless cousin on the floor of his bedroom, while Meilin went to get help.

"Gen?" Sakura was turning over her son now, praying he'd respond, just give any sign that he was actually _alive_.

"Gen!" She cried as she saw his blood-covered face, eyes closed as though he was merely sleeping.

At that, Li gazed around for a moment, fear suddenly edging it's way upon his face. Sakura looked up at him, wondering why he was only just showing such emotions, and wondering at the same time if anything _else _could possibly be wrong.

At that moment, he gazed up at her, and as if to answer her question;

"Sakura? Where's Hotaru?"

"WHAT?" Sakura screamed and rushed around the bedroom, throwing bedding and cushions around the room in her desperation, eventually collapsing in a frustrated and hysterical heap in the middle of the bedroom floor.

"Someone's gonna pay for this." She muttered, but doubted anyone could hear her. Not that she even cared.

At that moment, a shaking Meilin returned with Wei, and the pair managed to carefully carry Genrou to a private treatment room on the second floor of the mansion, where Yelan's private health team would ensure that he recieved the best treatment, and the room became eerily silent.

"Adorare, go with them...you might be in shock." Yelan muttered, in a tone that suggested it wasn't an option.

In a moment, they were gone, leaving nothing but the echoing of their footsteps.

"Sakura!" She lifted her head at the sound of someone calling her name, and a general look of confusion went around the room.

"I can't get out..." Scratching noises suddenly errupted from the closet by the door to the room, which she now noticed was pulled away from the wall.

At which point a pale hand emerged, making her jump momentarily.

"Hiro?" She cried, running to the young boy's aid.


	13. I Promise

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**a/n: sorry the last chappie was so short, it was due to my stupid computer deleting everything...arrrrghhhh**

**Chapter 13:  
I promise**

Sakura, with the help of Meilin and Li, pulled the heavy oak wardrobe as far from the wall as the wreck of the bedroom would let them, Hiro collapsing from the shock of being relieved of the pressure of the large wardrobe.

Sakura embraced the now shaking child, who was sobbing softly in her arms. She was just praying he'd seen or heard _something _to help with her daughter's safe return, and knowing at the same time she shouldn't press the matter, for fear of upsetting the boy.  
Luckily, she didn't have to, as, a moment later, the sobbing came to an end, and Hiroshi looked up at her, his pale, sunken eyes revealing his fear.

"Is she _gone_?" He muttered, and Sakura frowned for a moment, not quite getting what the boy was trying to imply, and all the while praying he'd have the whereabouts to his daughter.

"Who, sweetheart? Who _did_ this?" She encouraged him, and noticed he took a general sweep of the room, his eyes fixating on Meilin momentarily, as though scared of the impact of his words. It took a moment for everyone to notice who he was glancing at.

"Me? What did _I _do?" She gave a shocked glance at the little boy.

"N-not you..._Adorare_..."

And with that, Meilin froze. It was if, with those three words, her whole life had crashed down around her.

"W-what are y-you..." She could barely get any words out at all, and had to sit down for a moment.

"She...are you telling me _my_ daughter...oh..." She stared at Genrou's blood on the floor, not even being able to comprehend that her daughter could be the source of such pain and suffering. That she'd kidnapped...she was _doing_ all this. And Meilin was responsible for her. This was all her fault.

IT was at this paticular moment that Adorare chose to re-enter the room, and straight away, all eyes were on her, and np one seemed to know what to say or do. Apart from Meilin.

She stood in front of her now confused daughter, who was _very_ aware of the atmosphere, and struck her, once, very neatly across the face, leaving one single, bright red mark across her face, and reducing her to tears.

"W-what was that for?" She shook all-over, reaching for her cheek, and surprised at how warm it felt from her mother's touch.

"What did you _do_? And _why_ did you _do_ that to your...why?" She was struggling with the tears as she confronted her daughter.

"You always said I'd take after my father. Guess I didn't want to disappoint you...huh? And by the way...you really should let him know..."

And with that, she was gone.


	14. Hesitation

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**Chapter 14:  
Hesitation**

No one knew what to say or do. Meilin just about managed to sit on the stairs without collapsing, merely placing her head in her lap. The rest of the group were frozen, and Sakura had no idea whether it was from the shock, or whether they just didn't have any idea of what to say. She herself was stumbled.  
It was only as she felt Hiro leave her arms and walk across to Meilin that she looked up. As did everyone else. Including Meilin.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, looking down at his feet, as though ashamed of himself. And Meilin's normally calm exterior was cracking, and her whole face crumpled. She opened her arms to the young Japanese boy, and he gladly entered her warm embrace, as she began to sob.

"I'm glad you told me...don't be sorry sweetheart..." And they sat like that for a few moments, and no one dared to break them up, unsure what to say or do even if they could.

Sakura merely stood, rooted to the spot, unsure of what to say or do, just as everyone else. But, eventually, the need for her daughter's safety was overpowering, and she just had to get answers. But, to her surprise, Meilin beat her to it.

"Her phone..." She muttered, so that Sakura had to strain to hear her.

"_What_?"

"I got one of those satellite kit things for her phone when she got excluded...so I could keep tabs on her...but she doesn't know I've got it or anything...I bet you she's taken it with her...she never goes _anywhere_ without it..." And suddenly she swung into action. Sakura was actually surprised at the rate in which she moved to cause her daughter's downfall. Or maybe she just didn't know what they were gonna do.  
Not that Sakura did, either. But she knew she'd do whatever it took to get her daughter back. No matter who was on the recieving end.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
MEILIN'S BEDROOM, TWO HOURS LATER

So Adorare knew who her father was.  
Meilin had no doubt that this was a sort of threat. And if she said or did anything, Adorare would not only tell him of her existence, but she would also tell everyone else who he was.  
But Meilin didn't care. She had always known, deep down, that Adorare was a smart girl, and that, eventually, she'd find out if she really put her mind to it. Meilin had just underestimated how much she actually cared.

And even if they all found out, which they were bound to, now, and, even if they all judged her as she knew they would, it didn't matter. Because she could run from a judgemental family. But she knew she could never flee her guilty conscience if she didn't help.

To think she'd ever let her guard down so, that she'd ever allowed herself to care about someone so much and let him walk all over her.  
To think she'd ever really thought he'd cared about her. That one day, he'd tell everyone about them, and they could begin a whole new life together. But the truth was, he was ashamed of her, for reasons that she couldn't fathom.  
Or maybe he just felt guilty.

She'd been prepared to drop everything for him, even to leave her family behind if that's what she had to do. But he refused to allow himself to love her.

They'd only spent _one_ night together before Meilin had left, deciding he'd never _really _love her.

And it wasn't until three months later that she'd realised she was pregnant, and decided her and her baby would be better off without him. He probably wouldn't want anything to do with them anyway.

She'd wished that was that, but at any family functions, or parties, or even just visits, she saw him. And avoid him as she might, they would nearly always bump into eachother or end up left in a room. And on the rare occassion they _had_ to talk, she was always polite, and he was always distant.

Meilin looked up from where she lay on her bed. Someone was hovvering outside her bedroom door, she could tell.

"Okay, who's out there?" She glared at the door for a moment, and the shadow seemed to drift away for a moment, and Meilin knew immedietly who it was. There was only one person she knew that would come to her room to ask her about Adorare and then change her mind half way there.

"Sakura? Come in!" She bounced over to the door, throwing it open. And sure enough, standing there, in the hallway, was a very nervous-looking Sakura, and Meilin had to wonder what she'd come to ask. Or say.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
MEILIN'S BEDROOM, SAKURA'S POV

"What's up?" Meilin was sitting on her bed now, eyeing me up with a slight look of suspicion in her eyes. And I knew how guilty I must look, standing there, under the dull lights, not even wanting to look at her. Feeling guilty she'd even considered coming in.

"I...it's just...Adorare...she...ummm..." I knew I was blushing now, but I couldn't bring myself to ask her about something I knew would cause her so much pain.

"You want to know who her father is...don't you?" Meilin gave me a sort of sad smile, and I felt the guilt rise up inside me.

"I...yeah..." She gave me an odd sort of look for a moment, as thought sizing me up.

"I don't think _you_, of all people, want me to tell you, Sakura. It'd only hurt you, and I don't wanna be the one to do that."

And suddenly I knew. It all became clear.

It was Li.


	15. Oops!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**Chapter 15:  
Oops!**

Sakura stood outside Meilin's room for a moment, wondering how to make sense of her sudden realisation. Her _husband_ was Adorare's father...Li was gonna answer for this.  
But wait a minute: Adorare had said 'don't you think you should tell him'...

So Li didn't even know. But him and Meilin had...

Sakura stormed into their bedroom, not caring that she hadn't closed the door. Li was sitting on their bed, looking up at her, with a slight confusion in his eyes. She give him something to be confused about in a minute.

Without caring the fact that he was about to hug her, she slapped him, only once, across the face, and he stood, glued to the spot, pure shock on his face.

"WHAT DO YOU _MEAN_ WHAT WAS THAT FOR? YOU ASSHOLE! HOW COULD YOU _DO _THAT TO ME?" Sakura was surprised at just how scary she was sounding, and Li, too, jumped as she screamed at him.

"D-do _what_?" He was visibly scared now, and seemed nervous.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" She screamed, hurling a cushion from their bed at his head, getting even more agitated as he avoided it. Time for something _alot_ heavier. And hopefully something that could bruise him. She began to search for something with greater potential, not caring, even for a second, that she could hear Li's sisters calling their mother. She could vaguely make out Fanren's words, but they were something like  
'Mother, I think Sakura's gonna kill Li!'

"I don't know...but you're scaring me..." He dived again as another cushion came hurtling in his direction, and cried out as a pair of straightners caught him on the shoulder. But Sakura kept coming. It was like a bad horror movie. Next was a mirror compact, which managed to catch him on the side of the head. Was Sakura possesed or had the pressure of these past weeks pushed her over the edge?

"I'll scare you in a minute..." In a way, her words were scarier when she wasn't shouting, and he shuddered slightly at the thought of her getting any angrier. And at the thought of whatever he'd done.

And suddenly she was yelling at him in Japanese.

"Anata baka! Naze? Waga onii-chan's ontou! Temae gaki!" She was yelling at him now, and suddenly his sisters were looking in, and shooting him sympathetic looks, yet too scared to try and prevent Sakura killing him.

"Sakura! _English_! I can't understand a word you're saying!" Another object flew at his head, which he just managed to avoid, grimacing as it hit the wall behind him, and wondering at the same time what he'd done to upset her.

"I _said_ you were a baka, and that my _brother_ was right about you! You _are_ a gaki!"

"That's low, considering I don't even know what I've done!"

"Janai!"

"Uso janai! I'm not lying! I don't have a clue what you're talking about!"

Sakura was relenting now, obviously tired of throwing things.  
At that exact moment, Meilin walked into the room, taking one look at the scene and realising instantly what had happened, grabbing a protesting Sakura and shutting the door.

"Li? Can you give us a minute?" She looked at her cousin, the sudden urge to laugh coming over her.

"No! I wanna know why she's trying to kill me!" He yelled, glancing precautiously at a confused Sakura.

"Sakura, ni baichi! I didn't mean...when I said it'd upset you, I didn't...Do you honestly think I'd _do_ that to you?Or _him_?" She gave her cousin a doubtful look, as if to say 'like I'd ever screw him!', and Sakura gave a small snort of laughter, hugging her friend as a slightly confused Li looked on.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Li was staring at the two now, looking as though he could quite easily throw a tantrum any minute.

"Wait, so..._who_ could upset me?" Sakura frowned for a moment, not understanding her friend's looks of significance.

"No! No way! _Tori_? You...TORI? W-what...w-when...?" Sakura could barely get out her sentence, and a still confused Li seemed to be making alot more sense of the situation, whilst Meilin merely stared down at the floor in pure embarrassment.

"W-why didn't he _tell_ me? He wasn't even there when she was _born_!" Sakura had to sit down on the bed to stop herself collapsing from the shock of this situation. And Li finally seemed to get it, joining his wife on the bed, and staring at Meilin, who now flushed a brilliant shade of crimson.

"He...h-he...he didn't tell you because he...he doesn't know..." She tried desperatly to look around the room, trying to not look at her friend's reactions, and failing desperately as they both glared at her.

"What? You don't think he has the right to know? You have to tell him...that's not fair for you to just not bother! Don't you think he has a right to know? I mean she _is_ his child..." Sakura stood up, staring straight into her friend's eyes, not caring that she was practically in tears.

"You're right." A small tear edged it's way down Meilin's cheek, and Sakura enveloped her in a hug, not caring if she got mascara stains over her favourite t-shirt or not.

"Meilin? When did this _happen_?" Sakura was sitting her down now, and Li went to get her some tissues from the en-suite, muttering something about being confused in Chinese.

"Well, I guess it all started when..."


	16. Gomen Ne!

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**a/n: How'd you like the last chappies? Two in one day's not bad for me, huh? R+R people, I'm always looking for suggestions! And just to let everyone out there know, if you flame me, you'll be dealt with by a very close friend of mine...and also bombarded with hate mail.**

**Chapter 16:  
Gomen Ne!**

"Yeah?" Sakura encouraged her friend to continue as Li handed her tissues from the bathroom, flopping down on the bed from the exhaustion of being attacked by the usually dainty Sakura, and Meilin couldn't help but give a weak laugh.

"Do I _have_ to go into it _now_?" Meilin whined, wanting to prolong telling everybody as much as she could.

"Li, would you mind leaving us in private for a moment?" Sakura muttered humbly, ashamed that she'd ever caused her husband such _agony_.

"No! Don't leave us _alone_!" Meilin screamed, eyeing up her cousin's wounds. And he hadn't even _done_ anything. What would Sakura do to her, knowing she'd deprived her of a proper neice for all these years? And that she'd _slept_ with her brother?  
It wasn't even worth thinking about. But Meilin knew she couldn't be left alone with Sakura _now_ of all times.

"I'm not going anywhere till you tell me _why_ you tried to _kill _me!" He cried, and Meilin plotted a way to get out of telling them about Tori.

"She thought you cheated on her." She smiled innocently at Sakura and crossed her legs on their bed, preparing herself for a very _interesting _conversation, and avoiding Sakura's death-glares.

"Nani?" Sakura was finding it hard to tell whether Li was angry or confused when he asked her this, but either way, she couldn't think of how to respond. And she feared Meilin would only make things worse, so she merely smiled, rather ashamed of her behaviour. But she honestly thought that was what Meilin was _implying_. And_ that_ wasn't her fault, _was_ it?

"Look, can we sort this out later? _Please_?" Sakura begged her husband, and, just as he seemed on the verge of relenting, Meilin whispered something in his ear, inaudible to Sakura. But whatever it was then made him errupt.

"What! How could you think...yuck!" He shuddered and Meilin looked offended for a moment.

"Yuck? _Excuse _me?" She poked him on his bruised shoulder, and he spun round guiltily.

"Sorry...you know what I mean though!" And he turned back to Sakura, who was currently glaring at Meilin.

"_She _said it!" Sakura pointed at her friend now, who seemed shocked by the accusation, and Li glared at her.

"You told her I did?"

"No! I didn't say _that_, I just..." Meilin looked down at the quilt of their bed, blushing slightly.

"Well, when you go around saying things like _that_, what am I supposed to think?" Sakura glared at Meilin now, knowing she'd only brought this up again so she could get out of telling them about Tori, but not caring.

"_You're_ the one who jumped to conclusions, not me! I mean, honestly, how stupid do you think I am, _anyways_?" She realised her mistake, immedietly muttering something along the lines of:

"_Don't _answer that!" Sakura pushed her friend down on the bed, no longer wanting to deal with her medling, because, as harmless as it was, it was very annoying when she was trying to make peace with her husband.

"Gomen! Gomennnasai koibito! Aishiteru!" Sakura was almost pleading with Li now, and he was rolling his eyes.

"Stop talking to me in Japanese...you know I can't speak it well enough for you to do that..." He smiled slightly at his wife, and she hugged him enthusiastically.

"Ouch! Those straightening irons bruised the hell outta my arm!" Sakura blushed.

"Sorry!"

Li plonked himself on the bed, and Meilin groaned slightly. Now she'd have no excuse to avoid the subject of her and Tori. And no way to get out of telling him.  
She knew it was the decent thing to do, and that he had a right to know, but she was dreading the conversation.

"Tell us!" Sakura grabbed her friend's arm, pulling her upright, much to her protest.

"No! I don't wanna!" Meilin didn't care that she was whining now, she couldn't bare the thought of them knowing everything like that.

"He's my _brother_! It's like, the law, or something along those lines, anyway..." Meilin stared at her friend, knowing she'd never give up until she knew _everything_. She was like Madison in that respect.

"_Fine_...What do you want to know? Coz I'm not telling you the whole story, it's too long. Just skip to the bits you want to know." Meilin sighed. This was gonna be a long night.

"WHEN?" Meilin jumped slightly at Sakura's high pitched voice.

"W-when we were fifteen..." Meilin clenched her eyes shut, wondering how Sakura would react when she found out that she'd been secretly dating her brother for nearly a six months.

"O-oh..." Sakura didn't even know how to react to that. She wasn't expecting them to have actually had a _relationship_...she thought it was just a one-night sort of thing...but knowing they'd been sneaking around for that long, hiding it from her...

"Don't be mad at me! I'm sorry! Please please _please_ don't be mad Sakura! I was gonna tell you, I really was...but...well...I just..." Meilin blushed, not wanting them to see how hurt she was just thinking about Tori's denial.

"I...I'm not mad at you, Meilin..."Sakura sat down on the bed next to Meilin and sighed.

"So why did you...I mean, why aren't you still together?" Sakura felt immedietly guilty as she saw a small tear glisten in the corner of Meilin's eye, but she brushed it away before it could go any further. Sakura could see how much pain this was causing her, but she didn't know what to do. This was hardly a situation she'd had to deal with before.

"I got fed up and came back to Hong Kong...then I found out...and I...I just didn't know what to do. I freaked out. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't even really consider telling him until Adorare was about two, and then it was like I'd hidden it from him...which was never _really_ my intention..." Meilin was powerless to stop the second lot of tears escaping her now.

Suddenly, there was a loud banging noise from downstairs, and the three frowned at eachother, wondering who would be making such a noise at this time of night. This was then accompanied by several loud thuds from the stairs, and Fuutie's shouting:

"Tori, you don't want to go up there! Sakura's killing Li, and Meilin's _probably_ helping her!"

Followed by Tori's voice:

"Yeah well they'll have to put their fights on pause for a while. Me and Meilin need to have a _little chat_."

And, as the door swung open to the bedroom, Sakura was sure she heard Meilin say:

"Oh shit!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**a/n: So, what do you all think? Please review, I really need some suggestions!**

**And talk about cliffhanger, huh?**


	17. A quiet chat

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**a/n: Just to warn you, this is gonna be a long chappie, coz I need to cram alot into it...and I will leave you with a nice little cliffhanger, and then I'll update again tomorrow (or maybe today?) but it's nearly the end, I'd say two or three more chappies and maybe a sequel to come. Who knows?  
Thanks to HeYan (my muse), and all the lovely reviewers!**

**Chapter 17:  
A quiet chat  
(Dedicated to Hannah/He-Yan, for helping me at all times...you rock ma socks honey!)**

Sakura froze as she saw Tori's figure standing in the doorway, Li's sisters standing behind him in a huddle and gazing into the room. She looked to Meilin for support, and was rather shocked to see she was barely even paying them any attention. She was merely staring out the window, as though lost in her own world, and oblivious to their _slightly _more normal one.

Tori just slammed the door in Li's sister's faces, and, as they groaned as one, Sakura was sure she heard Seifa mutter something about missing out on a good show. He walked over to where Meilin was sitting, and she didn't even look at him as he spoke, rather coldly.

"_Why_?" That was all he really needed to say, because Sakura was sure she saw Meilin's eyes flick towards him, although only for a second, and she didn't say a word. She just continued to stare out the window, as though she didn't care.  
But Sakura knew differently.

"Are you just going to _ignore_ me?" Tori was glaring at her now, and Sakura wondered if he even knew they were in the room or not. She eyed up the door that led to Adorare's old room, but she knew there was no way they could leave without attracting alot of attention to themselves. Not that she wanted him to. She would rather be around to make sure things didn't get out of hand.

Meilin turned her head slightly, as though she was preparing a reply, but none came. Instead, she began to tap her fingernails on the window-sill, as though composing her thoughts for a moment, and from where she was on the bed, Sakura could see her brother loose his temper.

"Meilin!" He shouted, causing everyone in the room, even Li, to jump, and Sakura winced for a moment.

"Are you gonna just sit there and not _say_ anything? I can't believe you _did_ this!" Tori was shouting at her now, and Li got up to defend his cousin, but Sakura pulled him back down again.

"_Don't_. He's really mad. Just let him go on for a bit...he'll calm himself down in a second..." Li looked at her doubtfully for a moment, then gave a deep sigh in acceptance. He knew not to mess with Tori when he was mad...

"Meilin, I _knew_ you selfish, but I didn't think even _you_ could be capable of something like _this_! How could you _do _this to me?" He was shouting even louder now, and Sakura had the desperate urge to help her friend, but she knew better than to argue with Tori when he was in such a _bad _mood.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a tiny tear slid down Meilin's cheek, and Sakura had had enough, and she jumped up to defend her friend.

"Onii-chan, teishi! Kanojo sho-ro!Tachisaru sore tandokude!" She was shouting at her brother, and Meilin was actually looking up from the window. Li looked positively shocked that his wife was so quick to defend his cousin.

"Imouto shizuka ni shite!" Sakura was actually rather shocked to see her older brother behaving in such a way towards her, and she couldn't help a small tear escaping her. He was never so _rude_ to her, of all people. She supposed he had a right to act a little off-ish, considering he'd just found out he had a child, but it still hurt that he could be so cruel to her and his ex-girlfriend.  
Tori let out a sigh, as though he was about to give up. He turned toward Meilin, as though he was going to say something more to her. And then, all of the sudden, he picked up the small Chinese woman, slung her over his shoulder and began to carry her to the adjoining door, much to her protest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**Warning: The following scene may contain language slightly over PG13, as Meilin is very angry, as is Tori...I will tell you when it's over...**

Suddenly, Tori plonked the still screaming Meilin down in the middle of the floor, not caring that she banged her head on the wall in the process. Not that she seemed to notice.

"Chou wang ba dan!" She was screaming him now, even though she was a _little _scared of his reaction. She wasn't going to admit it, though.

"If you want to _call _me a lousy bastard, have the guts to do it in English, at least! Like I'm calling you a bitch, not si san ba!" He yelled back at her, and she looked like he'd slapped her for a moment.

"Wo xi wang ni man man si, dan kuai dian xia di yu!"

"What?" He frowned at her, and she felt the anger bubble up inside her.

"I wish you a slow death, but a quick ride to hell!" She screamed at him, and it was his turn to jump.

**Bad language has ended...**

"You have no _right_ to insult me! You're the one that _forgot_ to tell me I had a _daughter_! How do you think it felt to have her turn up at my_ home_ and tell me she was my daughter?" He screamed at her, and she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"How do _you _think it felt to know that the guy who broke my _heart _and wouldn't even _talk _to me anymore was the father of my child? How do you think it felt to know that, once again, I got rejected by the person I _loved_?" Meilin stopped herself...Had she just told Tori she was in love with him? Shit!

"You...you _what_?" He seemed as shocked as she was at her little outburst as she was. She merely coughed slightly, as though she didn't know what he was talking about. Shame he knew her too well for that.

"Meilin, you walked out on _me_! How could you have _loved _me?" He sat down on the floor opposite her now, and she just glared at the floor.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_FLASHBACK----28 years ago_

_Meilin had been bored for the duration of the party, not that she'd been expecting to enjoy it. Sakura, Li, Madison and Eli had all left, and she was sitting in a room full of people she didn't know.  
That's when he sat down next to her. She knew she was blushing, and she felt like such an idiot, but it was becoming a steady habit whenever she was around him. She couldn't help these feelings she was getting for him, and even though she knew he'd never return the feeling, especially as he was one of her closest friend's brothers._

_"Wanna get outta here? This party's crap." He was extending his arm to her, and she accepted it gladly._

_Half an hour later, they were in Meilin's apartment, and they were chatting away about everything. And the conversation managed to fall onto relationships. She didn't even know how it happened._

_"So, how comes you're not engaged anymore?" She was, of course, referring to his engagement to Ruby a few years before._

_"She annoyed the hell outta me." He said with a smile, and she couldn't help but laugh._

_"What about you?" Was it her imagination, or did he move closer to her as he asked?_

_She decided to go for it. She had nothing to lose, and it wasn't as if they were friends or anything. What could go wrong?_

_"Well...I've kinda had my eye on someone for a while now." She shuffled a little nearer to him on the couch, hoping he'd notice._

_"Really? Who?" He moved an inch closer, and they were almost touching.  
And she didn't even need to answer. Before she knew it, they were making out._

_Then, there was months of sneaking around, and Tori would come round to Meilin's every Sunday, telling Sakura he was practicing football. And that's how it went, for six months. And, as he left, they'd always have the same conversation. She'd ask him when they were gonna tell everyone, and he'd say that it'd be soon, and that they didn't wanna rush things. Then he'd kiss her and leave. That's how it went._

_Until one evening. It was Valentine's day, and she was feeling sorry for herself, because Sakura had told her Tori was going to Tokyo for some conference or something, and that meant, of course, she'd be spending Valentine's day alone.  
Until about 9pm, when there was a knock on the door. And there he was, standing in the doorway, and she didn't even need to ask.  
That was the day Adorare was concieved._

_END OF FLASHBACK  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_"MEILIN!" She snapped out of her trance, realising where she was.

"_What_?" She stared at him for a moment, wondering where she went wrong. Where _they_ went wrong.

"How could you have _loved _me? You're the one that left!" For a moment, Meilin saw just how upset he was. The hurt in his eyes was clear, and suddenly she sensed a familiar rush of adreneline. What was happening to her?

"I only left coz you..." She looked down at the floor, as though too upset to go on.

"You never really cared about me, Tori...and I wasn't about to set myself up again, just to get hurt..." More tears came flooding out of her eyes, and Tori frowned at her for a moment.

"Is that what you _really _thought? Meilin! Of _course_ I cared about you! I was in _love_ with you! When you left, I was in peices for god's sake!" He grabbed her arm now, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Meilin, why didn't you _tell _me? You should _never_ have had to go through that alone, Meilin..." She smiled slightly.

"You know, when I took that pregnancy test and realised it was yours, I was so upset, and, like a month before she was born, when it was Li's birthday, you came over for the party, and you saw me...you looked at me with utter _disgust_, like I was lower than crap...and all the time I just wanted to tell you." She let out a loud sob, and felt his strong arms around her.

"I didn't _know_, Meilin...I thought you'd left me for someone else...it never even crossed my mind that it might be mine..." She looked up at him.

"I remember a few years ago, when Adorare was about 13, she came with me for a Christmas party at your house, and she came to me that night and said 'Sakura's brother's really _rude_. I was talking to him and he practically _blanked_ me...' That hurt so much, Tori...coz you hated me so much you couldn't even be civil to our daughter..."

"Aww, doesn't it break your heart?" Meilin looked up to see her daughter standing just above them, and she crouched down so she was level with her mother.

"I told you I'd make you pay."

**a/n: R+R, big chappie, huh?**


	18. I'll make you pay

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**a/n: Please please PLEASE review the damn thing! I can see the hits, but no one else can, so it makes me look like I can't write coz no one wants to review my stories! I only had ONE review last chapter, and I love to see them when I open up my inbox! For all of you who write on here, you know what I'm talking about!  
ATTENTION: IN THE LAST CHAPPIE, THE FLASHBACK SAID IT WAS 28 YEARS AGO, WHEN IN FACT IT IS 18...SOWWWWWYYYYYY**

**Chapter 18:  
I'll make you pay**

Meilin stared into the eyes of her daughter, pure fear embracing her. How had she managed to bring up such a cold, heartless child? What had she done that could _possibly_ have been so bad?

"What's going on?" Tori frowned, confused, as no one had explained the situation to him. Meilin looked up at him, and couldn't help but jump slightly as she saw their faces were almost touching, and she could feel his breath on her lips. She turned away suddenly, desperate to shake these thoughts from her head, and Tori looked a little offended for a moment. She merely turned back to her daughter and sighed, trying her hardest to remain calm.

"Adorare, just give Hotaru back. I'm begging you...You practically _killed_ your own cousin and you've suceeded in effectively ruining my life. This has gone far enough. Just stop. Please!" Meilin stared at her daughter, but she was under the impression her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

"I...I didn't mean to _do_ what I d-did to Gen...it was an accident...ok? He j-just...he just got in the w-way..." Was it Meilin's imagination, or was there a small tear in the corner of her daughter's eye as she said this?

"Adorare! Just give her _back_!" Meilin was screaming at her daughter now, not caring that the whole house could probably hear her exact words. She had no more patience for the teenager, and refused to let her get away with this. No matter what that meant.

"Don't you _dare_ shout at _me_! Who the hell do you think you _are_? What right do you have to tell me what to _do_?" Adorare gave her mother a sweet smile, and Meilin lost all traces of fear, anger surging through her body.

"I, _unfortunately_, am your bloody mother!" Meilin screamed, standing up so they were level.

"_And_? Nobody _else_ loves you, so why should I? You're nothing special, after all." Tori flinched as he saw the look of pure hurt on Meilin's face, and he knew there was nothing Adorare could say or do that could hurt her any more.  
This, of course, was the moment Sakura and Li chose to walk in, obviously hearing Meilin and Adorare's yelling. It took a moment for them to take in that it was actually _Adorare_ standing there, but unfortunatly, a moment was all she needed to escape.

"_Cao_!" Meilin fell back onto her daughter's bed, not caring about her language.

"Buyao zu, Meilin...We'll find her..." Li longed to comfort his cousin more, but knew that he must go find their child., so he dragged Sakura off to the sitting room, where the others were trying to track her down, leaving her alone, once more, with Tori.

She let out a long, had sob that made her sound as though she was struggling for breath, and Tori sat on the bed, just next to where her head was, not caring that her mascara was running down her face in _such_ an attractive way.

"What's wrong? I mean, know what's wrong and everything...but why are you _crying_?" Meilin looked up at him, though through _very_ blurry vision.

"She's _right_, that's why! No one _does_ love me, and I'm a failure as a mother...I mean, my daughter's an evil _bitch_, and I haven't even had a _relationship_ since I was fifteen..." She stopped, cursing herself.  
_That's great Meilin, tell him you were so unbelievebly shattered since you got rejected by him that you couldn't even date anyone else. That's really great. Why don't you just start crying again. That's a little less embarrassing...why even bother anyways?_

"You haven't been out with anyone since...s-since you were fifteen? Who...I mean, when..." Tori cleared his throat self-consciously.

"_Yes..._You're the last person I..._dated_...even that was a proper...I mean, you could hardly _call_ it dating, could you? I mean...with all the sneaking around...oh, never mind...it doesn't matter...just _forget_ it..." She muttered, not bothering to look at him.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_FLASHBACK-18 years ago_

_Meilin woke up, the day _after_ Valentine's day, rather content. Of course, she hadn't _told _him she'd been a virgin. When he'd asked her that evening, before they'd...She'd merely muttered 'why, do you think I'm that ugly?' indignantly, and let him think what he wanted.  
As she turned over, smiling, she came face to face with a very awake Tori._

_"Hey you..." She muttered, giving him a quick kiss._

_"Hey _you_." He pushed her hair away from her face, stroking her cheek softly as he did so. _

_"Tori?" She turned to the ceiling, nervous of what she was about to ask. She didn't want to kill the atmosphere, but she felt she _had_ to ask. It would only play on her mind all day if she didn't._

_"When can we tell everyone about us?" He sighed heavily, and she grimaced._

_"Why is it _so _important? We're having _so_ much fun, and we get on _so _well, why does it matter? We're not doing this for them, we're doing this for us...and how do you think Sakura is gonna react?" He was getting dressed now, and Meilin longed to have him back in her arms._

_"I...I just don't wanna have to sneak around anymore, Tori...I-I...I think I'm falling...Never mind..." She muttered, realising he was about to leave, and probably didn't _care_ what she had to say._

_"Meilin, I don't _get_ why it's so important to you that everyone knows...But, if this is the way you feel, maybe...maybe we...never mind..." He walked out of her bedroom, not wanting to say anything that he'd regret later on. But Meilin had heard enough._

_END OF FLASHBACK  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
_"It _was_ a proper relationship, Meilin!" Tori looked rather offended and hurt at the insinuation it was anything less than that.

"Yeah, well...you were so _ashamed_ of me, you wouldn't even tell anyone about us...!" She couldn't help the sharp edge to her voice, and she could feel him flinch against her as she said it.

"I wasn't _ashamed_ of you! I was scared!" He clenched his eyes shut.

_Great, Tori...tell her you were too scared of what your sister...your friends would say when they found out...that makes you come off better! Really, that's just perfect. Great idea._

"Really?" Meilin's heart melted, and she couldn't break eye-contact with him, no matter how hard she tried. And she could feel his breath warming her cheeks. Was it her imagination, or was Tori moving closer to her?

"Meilin?" His lips were only an inch away from hers, and she was having the hardest time not reaching out for him.

"What?" She whispered back, no longer able to stand the intensity that was being exchanged between them.  
And, suddenly, he was kissing her. And she was kissing him back. Longingly. Hungrily. This was what she had wanted for so long, and she'd never imagined it would happen...but now it was...all _over _again. And she was pulling away. He was frowning.

"I-I can't do this, Tori...I...I don't wanna set myself up again...I can't..." She stared at the ceiling, a little disappointed he didn't fight for her.

"I don't _get_ you, Meilin...you're prepared to make out with me...have my child...not _tell _me about it...and _now_ you're worried about things not being _right_?" He was yelling at her now, and she felt herself snap.

"That's different! You've stumbled back into my life and confused me all over again...I did all that coz I was in _love_ with you!" She screamed back at him.

"_Right_!" Tori yelled back, and everything seemed to freeze. Meilin sat up to face him, unable to hide the shock from her face.

"A-are you saying you're...in _love_ with me?" She stuttered, not caring if she sounded stupid.

"I-I..." Tori was interrupted.

"Meilin! We found Adorare! Come on!" Sakura was barging into the room, and the atmosphere shattered.

"Y-yeah...where is she...I mean, how did you even _find_ her?" She got up.

"Aah...I believe_ I_ helped with that..." Eli stepped into the room, unaware of the tension.


	19. Battletill the end?

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**Chapter 19:  
Battle...till the end?**

"She's in that wine cellar-y thing just off the grounds...Meet you in the foyer in about ten minutes...just gonna get my cards and everything..." And she was off, Eli following just behind her. Which left Tori and Meilin alone once again. This was starting to become a bit of a bad habit...

"Tori, before...when we were talking...d-did you mean-" But she was interrupted.

"What does it _matter_? I wouldn't want to set you up all _over_ again now, would I?" He gave her one of the cold, distant smiles that she had become accustomed to over the years. The sort of one that made her think he was only smiling because that way he didn't have to talk to her. He was walking towards the door now, and a sense of dispair filled her. Was she prepared to let him walk out of her life again?

"Wait! Tori...I didn't mean to say...I thought...I never..." She sighed, looking him in the eye. But, once again, he had become distant and she knew there was no way she could reach him now. He frowned, and she prayed he'd come back to her, finish what they'd started. Anything to ease this pain from her.

"Meilin? When we...were you a _virgin_?" He glanced curiously at her for a moment.

"Does it matter?" She looked back at him, part of her secretly longing for the intamcy they had shared earlier.

"Just, please, for _once, _give me a straight answer..." He looked at her doubtfully for a moment.

"Yeah...I-I was...I mean, you...you were my first..." She stopped herself before she ended up admitting that he was her only one. But, before she could even mutter another word, he walked out.  
It took her a minute or two to pluck up the courage to follow.

As she stood in the foyer, just her, Tori, Li and Eli, she could literally _feel_ Li's sisters' staring at the back of her head. And judging by the glares coming from Tori in their direction, they were staring at him, too. Which meant they knew.

"What is she _doing_ in there?" Meilin voiced the general thoughts of the group, who were beginning to grow impatient at the thought of waiting any longer for the 'Card-mistress'.

"Hooeeeeee! Sorry I took so long, but you'll never guess what! Wei just told me Gen's gonna be fine...he's got some muscles in spasm or something...and he has some minor head injuries...luckily the contaminated the bleeding, and he's in shock...but in a little bit, he should wake up and then he'll just need a couple day's rest!" Sakura beemed, strapping her key round her neck and opening the door.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
OUTSIDE THE WINE CELLAR

Meilin couldn't help the tears from coming to her eyes as she stared at the door to the wine cellar. She didn't _know_ what was going to happen...but it was _very_ likely that she was about to be part of her daughter's downfall.  
Maybe even her death.

She looked up for a moment, thinking no one would notice her crying. But _he _had.

"Ready?" Sakura gulped slightly at the door to the wine cellar, not really sure of what to expect.

"Ready." Meilin muttered, and they took this as their cue to go in. It was like she was giving them _permission_ to do this.  
Eli pushed open the door, preparing for any traps or attacks the teenager could've set up.  
But nothing could've prepared _any_ for the shock that was about to befall them. For, there, standing in the foyer, rather bloodied up and scared, was Madison.

"Oh my God!" Sakura ran to her best friend, a mix of relief and concern filling her.

"Sakura! What's going _on_? Adorare locked me up in one of the little rooms and I couldn't get out and I was so _scared_!" She was sobbing in her best friend's arms and shaking profusely.

_This is all my daughter's doing...what the hell did Meilin do to her? How could she have made such a mess of bringing her up? _Tori's thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing noise.

Meilin looked up, searching for tell-tale signs of her daughter. Another crashing noise from behind her. She walked towards the source of the noises, staring curiously at a wall which seemed to be shaking.

"What the hell _is_ th-"Li stopped mid-sentence as his cousin flew across the room, hitting the stone wall opposite with a dull thud, and collapsing in a pile of rubble at the end of the room.

"Meilin!" Sakura screamed, dashing towards her friend, who wasn't even attempting to move.

"Oww!" She groaned, gratefully accepting Sakura's hand to pull herself up.

"Oops!" Adorare smiled as she walked through the hole in the wall, stepping over rocks as she went.

"Wood!" Sakura unleashed the wood spirit from it's card and set it on the teenager, hoping it could just catch her before things got _too_ violent. But once it was within about two feet of her, the spirit returned to it's card form and sent back to Sakura.

"_Nice_ try...anyways, I believe _this_ belongs to you..." She pulled Hotaru out from behind her.  
The young girl was covered in dirt and wearing a little black dress that Meilin recognized as one of her daughter's mini-dresses, even though it only came down to Hotaru's knees. On her forhead was one long droplet of dried blood, as if she'd hit something hard. Or something hard had hit her.

"Hotaru! Sweetheart, are you okay?" Sakura and Li embraced their child as she ran towards them, and, seeing them, so happy together as one family. It almost gave Meilin a twinge of jealousy.

"What did she _do _to you?" Sakura stroked the dried blood on her daughter's forhead and Li glared at Adorare.

"_I _didn't do _anything_ to her! She fell over! If I'd have hit her, she wouldn't be standing there now." Adorare sat on one of the larger rocks from the wall she'd just destroyed, just opposite her mother. She smiled in a mock caring way.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_! Are you _ok_? Did that _little_ explosion catch you at all?" She looked her mother, who was covered in rubble from head to toe, up and down, sighing as though dissappointed.

"Where would you get _that_ idea?" Meilin wasn't going to give her daughter the benefit of seeing her in pain.

"Just a thought..._anyway_..."  
At which point Eli waved his hand over the room, and Adorare's eyes widened in fear.

"You stopped everyone's magic, didn't you?" She winced slightly as Eli nodded, a familiar wicked glint in his eyes.

"Only for a little while..."

She smiled nervously at them all, muttering something under her breath as she threw something small and round on the floor.  
And suddenly, a dark crowd surrounded them, and Meilin could just about make out Adorare's shape trying to sneak out of the room while the others panicked and fussed over the smoke.

But if she thought she was gonna get away _that_ easily, she was sadly mistaken. Meilin dashed through the fog in what she _hoped _was the direction of her daughter. Not that she could see if it was or not.

Little did Meilin know that she, too was being watched. Tori ran after her, he was not even sure himself why he did it.  
But he knew that anyone who was capable of kidnapping and hurting children, her own blood relatives, none the less, was _definetly_ capable of hurting their mother. And he didn't wanna stand around and let that happen.  
He wouldn't let Meilin suffer for trying to look after _their _child.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
MEILIN'S POV

I ran after her, as fast as my legs would carry me. I hoped she hadn't seen me, and I had no idea what she would _do_ when I caught up with her...all I knew was that if I'd brought up someone who could kill her own _mother_, there was no point in me living.  
If my own daughter hated me enough to _kill _me, there was no point to me being alive. I had no else. She was my life, and if she didn't care enough about me to _not_ kill me, there was no point me being alive anyway.

I came to a halt outside a large metal door, slightly ajar. I knew these cellars practically off-by-heart, and so she new it was a dead-end. This was it. I wasn't sure how far this would have to go. But I knew it would have to end now. No second chances and no mistakes.

Without any idea what was going to happen, I threw the door to the room open, not knowing what to expect.

"Dead end." I muttered to my daughter's back asI entered the room, filled with empty wine boxes and crates.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
ADORARE'S POV

I stared at my mother, not knowing what to do. But I knew one thing; if I didn't get out of this room, she'd make me go back. And I was sure people like Sakura and Li, even _Eli_ would want me dead. And that Madison girl...I'd put _her _through alot too.  
And it was all so I could inherit some stupid _clan_! I knew it wasn't worth it...

"Mum...get outta my way...I have to go..." I tried to get past her, and she looked up at me with watery eyes. And suddenly, I knew...she wasn't going to move of her own accord. I had no option but to move her.

"_Move_!" I screamed at her. But she wouldn't budge.

I was desperate now, as I could hear someone's footsteps echoing down the hall, getting nearer and nearer.

"MOVE!" I screamed, pushing her out the way and hiding behind a crate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
TORI'S POV

As I entered the room, something red _immedietly_ caught my eye. Meilin was face down in a pool of her own blood.

"Meilin!" I ran to her side, turning her over, and checking her head from the place it was bleeding. I touched her cheek, unable to keep the tears from coming to my eyes. Her eyes flickered slightly, and suddenly they were open and she was staring at me.

"T-tori?" She looked up at me, and I could _see_ the fear in her eyes.

"Meilin! You're gonna be ok...I promise...Just...hang on, ok? You need to hang on?" A tear rolled down my cheek and fell onto a patch of her blood.

"Tori...there's no point...I've got nothing to l-live for..." Her eyes were slowly closing, and I knew if she gave up now, she'd never make it.

"Meilin! Don't leave me...I _love_ you so much! Please don't leave me! Please, Meilin, _please_..." I kissed her now, praying there would be a way to save her.

"I love you Tori..." She muttered, before her eyes closed.

"I-I'm sorry..." Adorare stepped out from behind one of the crates, and I looked from her now unconcious mother to her.

"D-did you...?" I was too upset to say anything else now.

"I...I'm sorry..." She waved her hand over us and I looked up to see we were in the hospital wing. But I didn't care...Sakura and Li were looking at our bodies crumpled on the floor, shock on their faces. But I didn't care. I couldn't feel Meilin's pulse any longer, and I knew she'd given up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**a/n: What do you think? Cliffie or what? I made some major changes to the plot of the story...so those who _think_ they know what's gonna happen...you're wrong!**


	20. Too little, too late

**(With ideas and co-writing from HeYan)**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it…so don't sue…coz if you do, I'll _hurt _you!

**Sorry! **To all those who know the Japanese names better, I don't really know them, but here's a name guide:

Sakura Avalon: Sakura Kinomoto Li Showron: Syaoran Li Madison Taylor: Tomoyo Daidouji Meilin Rae: Meiling Li Tori Avalon: Touya Kinomoto Julian Star: Yukito Tsukishiro Chelsea: Chiharu Mihara Nikki: Naoko Yanagisawa Rita: Rika Sasaki Zachary/ Zach: Takashi Yamazaki

**Key: **"Talking" _"Whispering" _"YELLING" _Thinking _-----New scene or POV----- POV Point Of View

_**Writing-notes, emails etc.**_

**Chapter 20:  
Too little too late**

Tori sat at the side of Meilin's bed, staring at her unconcious form, praying every moment that she'd show _some_ sign of life. The specialists Yelan hired seemed to think it was too early to tell the outcome. Some specialists _they _were.  
He'd been sitting there for what felt like several hours but was _actually_ about thirty minutes. He actually hoped no one would bother him. He just wanted to be alone with Meilin for as long as possible.  
But he didn't get the peace he longed for, because, soon enough, someone was opening the door and peering rather _cautiously_ into the room.

"Any progress?" Madison was seating herself down opposite him now, looking up towards Meilin's lifeless body with nothing but concern written all over her face.

"None. Whatsoever." Tori sighed, leaning his head on her bed

"Tori, you should get some _sleep_..." She frowned as he looked up at her as if to say 'not gonna happen'.

"Tori...I've...uh...been outta the _loop_ for a bit...and no one'll tell me what's going on...so uh, what _is_ going on?" She looked between him and Meilin, as if scared of what the answer would be.

"Well...I guess you _might_ say I...uh- I'm Adorare's father..." Nothing could've surprised him more than he reaction.

"I _knew_ it!" She gave him a sort of sheepish grin, as if to say 'what did you _really_ expect?'

"How did you _know_?" He smiled at her for a moment. The first time he'd smiled in a long time.

"You're _perfect_ for eachother- brave, kind..._protective_...and you can both be as stubborn as _hell_..." She smiled back at him and then fondly up at Meilin, as though a mother looking at her child.

"If you _knew, _how comes _I_ couldn't work it out? I didn't think I was _that_ stupid!" His turn to look fondly at Meilin, ignoring the shocked look on Madison's face.

"You didn't _know_?" Madison stared at him.

"I guess Meilin-" He was interrupted as several 'specialists' rushed into the room, barging them out of the way and forming a huddle around Meilin and muttering technical terms in Chinese that Tori couldn't even begin to comprehend.  
At the end of their huddled conversation, one of them began to walk over to them.

"Umm...n-not good?" The woman muttered in broken English, and Tori now noticed that one of the others had hit a small red button near Meilin's head, and footsteps now thundered down the hall, the door thudding open to reveal Sakura, Li, Eli, Yelan and Li's sisters. This wasn't looking good.

Immedietly, Li was conversing with one of the specialists, and Sakura was sobbing in his arms, along with Madison, who he soon embraced.  
And suddenly, Li was yelling at one of the men now, not caring how loud he was.

"What do you _mean_ you _can't_ help her? That's what you're _paid_ for!" The man was muttering under his breath, but judging by the look on his face, he wasn't understanding a word Li was yelling at him.  
His mother was trying to calm Li down now, but the general mood in the room was already unreserectable. The 'specialists' were dismissed from the room.

"I-is she g-gonna d-die?" Sakura muttered in the smallest of possible voices, and, as if answering her, Fanren sobbed.

"Meilin..." Madison turned to look up at Tori, who wasn't even looking at her. He was off in his own little world.

_Why'd I let her go? I never should have let her outta my life in the first place. I should have told everyone about us from the start. As soon as she left I should have been straight on a plane to Hong Kong...and when she asked me if I still loved her, I should have told her I'd never stop.  
I shouldn't have been so worried about my damn pride. I should've just told her that from the first time I'd seen her since she left I felt as if my heart was in my throat and I just wanted to tell her I'd made a mistake.  
But now it's too late.  
I should have been there to protect her.  
I should be the one in the hopital bed. Not her. Never her_.

Tori looked down to see Madiosn staring at him. He merely turned back to Meilin, wanting to soak up every ounce of her til the point she was no longer there.  
No matter how much he thought about it, the tears just wouldn't come. He couldn't bring himself to accept that the _one_ person he'd ever loved and valued above his own life was lying in a hospital bed and would never get up.

He realised that he'd always looked forward to those events where he knew she'd be attending. He'd tell himself he was dreading having to be in the same room as her, but he'd never really believed it.  
And he'd never been able to stop himself staring at her as she entered a room, with or _without_ Adorare.

He'd even make Julian go over and see she was ok, all the time pretending he didn't even care.

How could her _not_ love her?

The life support was flashing red and the frequency of beats was decreasing at an alarming rate. It was on ten, and they all _knew_ things were about to end.

Everything seemed to freeze as the life support hit zero. And Tori knew his world had been shattered.

Madison looked up at him for support, but he was staring at the love of his life with no expression on his face.

_He's got no one else...and she died saving us...this isn't right. This needs to be fixed...she just can't be dead! Not Meilin! _

A single tear rolled down her cheek now, and as it hit the floor, it seemed to almost ripple with a sort of thudding noise, causing everyone to look up. But the ripple continued to pass through the room, not stopping till it reached the heart machine and Meilin, where it seemed to speed up the heart machine, until it was at about one hundred, and Meilin opened her eyes, gasping for breath.

She frowned slightly as she saw everyone staring at her.

"What's going _on_?" But they were all frozen to the spot. Especially Madison, who was staring at the small splash-mark the tear had made. And, slowly, all eyes were on her.

"D-did you j-just..._Madison_?" Sakura was eyeing her as if she were a bomb.

"I...I have _no_ idea...but I'm scared..." She muttered, looking cautiously at an _increasingly _impatient Meilin.

"_What_? I don't _get _it!" She was moaning now, thrashing her arms and legs about wildly, only stopping when she noticed the crips and cables running from her veins and the fact that she was wearing a hospital gown.

And suddenly, everything came flooding back to her. The only one who wasn't staring at Madison was _him_.

_"Meilin! Don't leave me...I love you so much! Please don't leave me! Please, Meilin, please..."_

_"I love you Tori..."_

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
THREE DAYS LATER

Eli and Madison had decided to return to Japan, but live _seperatly_, taking a break from their marriage, but keeping in touch for the sake of their son, who was rather _shaken_ by the fact that his mother could now read his mind.  
But Sakura _had_ agreed to train her.

Hotaru had been confined to her bed for several days, while Genrou had been taking short walks to the nearest shops, and had met a very _nice_ young girl named Hannah. Madison seemed convinced they'd be the new 'kawaii couple', she'd even whispered to Meilin they were set to be the _next_ Sakura and Li, to which Meilin had groaned:  
'More hard work for us!'

Adorare had run away, leaving nothing but a note saying  
'they deserve a second chance'

Tori walked into Meilin's treatment room, knowing today was the day she was planning to leave. The 'specialists' had insisted that she'd stayed in bed for several days after her 'miracle' recovery. But since then, everyone had been crowding round her, talking to her and the like.  
Just making sure she wasn't on her own.  
Which meant he hadn't been able to talk to her.

As he pushed open the door, a familiar bunch of nerves hit him, and he forced himself to walk in. Meilin was staring out the window, now fully dressed in her _own_ clothes. She turned around as he entered the room, an unreadable expression on her face, and Tori was tempted to walk straight back out again. But a tiny voice in his head stopped him.

_You almost lost her once, don't do it again._

He hated the thought of her not knowing how he really felt.

"Hi..." He muttered, not sure of how to act around her.

"Umm...h-hi..." She blushed, not sure of how to react towards him, either.

_Just go for it, Tori...you've got nothing to lose. You'll only regret it if you don't._

"Tori-" She was cut off by him kissing her intently. And a surge of relief shook through his body as he realised she was kissing him back.

Both of them were running out of breath now, and yet neither of them wanted to be the one to stop.

And, yet again, Meilin was the one who _did_ eventually pull away.

"If you don't want to, Meilin, we don't have to...I just knew I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't tell you how madly, deeply and passionatly I felt about you this very minute. You're my world, and my everything. And if you don't feel the same way, that's ok. I just wanted you to know." He smiled at her and brushed her hair away from her cheek, preparing to leave.

"Tori, how could I _not_ love you?" And they were kissing again, more passion, more love. Just _more_.

**a/n:** **There...a kinda happy ending...ok? But there _will _be a sequel out soon...  
The more reviews I get, the sooner I write it...so R+R, even if it's just to say you liked it...**


	21. PLEASE READ!

**Just a quick note:  
There's now a prequel to this story, called the past, and it's basically more detailed about what happened when they got together, Meilin got pregnant, and all the other fights, punches and violence that went on!**


	22. URGENT!

**OKAY!!!**

**Due to demand, I'm writing the sequel to Curse Of The Wolf, called Rise Of The Wolf!**

**So, basically, now it's a trilogy :**

**1.The Past**

**2.Curse Of The Wolf**

**3.Rise Of The Wolf**

**But you totally _have _to read it, it's gonna be the best one!**

**What you waiting for?  
You know what to do!**


	23. Note

Hey, everyone, just to let you all know that this account will no longer carry any new stories or updates.  
However, if you want to read some of my newer (and, in my opinion, better) fics, take a look at my new profile - the link is on my profile, or you can just search 'Miss Delish'.


End file.
